Archbishop Moxon to become Anglican ambassador to Rome

Archbishop David Moxon is heading to Rome as the
Anglican Communion’s chief representative to the Roman
Catholic Church.

This means he will step down in April as
the Archbishop of the New Zealand dioceses, and thus as one
of the three leaders of the Anglican Church in these
islands. He will also resign as Bishop of
Waikato.

Archbishop David’s new role in Rome will be
twofold: as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative
to the Holy See, and also as the Director of the Anglican
Centre in Rome. He expects to take up those responsibilities
in May next year.

The representative role involves
relating to the Vatican and the Pope on behalf of the
Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion; while
the Anglican Centre is an Anglican “embassy” in Rome
which promotes Christian unity though hospitality, prayer
and education – and which brokers new joint endeavours by
the Catholic and Anglican churches.

Archbishop David was
asked to consider the role earlier this year. After months
of prayer and consideration he applied, and he was offered
the post by Dr Rowan Williams – who says he is
“personally delighted” that Archbishop David
accepted.

“There can be few people in the Communion so
well qualified for this work,” says Archbishop Williams.
“Archbishop David has done distinguished service to the
Anglican – Roman Catholic dialogue both locally and
globally, and brings to this post both a wealth of
experience and a range of profound friendships across the
confessional frontiers.”

Archbishop David says he felt
compelled to heed the call that came his way.

“Our two
churches are on the verge of new opportunities for joint
mission,” he says, “especially in the aid and
development area. I’m also convinced there are new
opportunities to learn from each other, and to support each
other in the sacred cause for which Jesus gave his life and
blood.”

Archbishop David says this church of Aotearoa
New Zealand and Polynesia has shown him the true potential
for reaching out across cultures and divides – and
encouraged him to “go global” with what he’s
learned.

“I will be taking with me everything I have
been given by the church in these islands.”

Tikanga
praise

Archbishop David’s appointment has been hailed by
the leader of the Maori arm of this church, Archbishop Brown
Turei – who suggests that Archbishop David’s track
record of forging relationships with people from other
backgrounds will serve him well.

“He was so easy to work
with, so unusually well equipped to do what he did here with
the three-tikanga church, that I’m sure he’s the one to
develop relationships with the Catholic church. I will miss
him.”

The leader of Tikanga Pasefika, Archbishop Winston
Halapua, the Bishop of the Diocese of Polynesia, adds that
it’s no surprise that Archbishop David has been
‘handpicked’ by the wider church to go to Rome.

“I
knew that it wouldn’t be long before something like this
happened. He has the skills that the Anglican Communion
needs and I know he will do brilliantly.

“His going is a
loss to us. But we rejoice in our sadness, because he has
given us so much.”

Meanwhile, Bishop Philip Richardson,
with whom Archbishop David has led the Diocese of Waikato
and Taranaki for 13 years, says his brother bishop has left
“an indelible mark” on the diocese.

“His passion for
the gospel, his love for people and his style of leadership
made him deeply loved by the people of this diocese,”
Bishop Philip says.

Episcopal partnership with Archbishop
David “has given me the most fruitful and enjoyable years
in ministry that I’ve had – and I will really miss
that.

“But I believe so strongly that this appointment
is the call on his life. And I think this is international
recognition of the calibre of his leadership.”

The
Catholic Bishop of Hamilton, the Most Rev Dennis Browne, in
whose cathedral, in 1993, Archbishop David was ordained as
the sixth Bishop of Waikato, has also extended his warmest
wishes:

“The big promotion! I’m actually a little bit
sad because we’ve worked really closely together for
nearly 20 years now and he’s become a great friend of
mine.

“I think it’s sad for the Anglican Church here
in New Zealand, too, because to my way of thinking they’re
losing a wonderful, natural pastor.

“He’s got that
broad thinking, that very sharp intellect that is great, not
just for the Anglican community but for the whole of New
Zealand, really.

“Ecumenically, we’re going to miss
him here in Hamilton. He’s been so approachable, so easy
to get on with.

“He’s got that sensitivity that will
serve him well in this new position. The fact that he’s
already been really involved internationally… he will be a
great asset in Rome, and I hope he’ll feel at home in the
special atmosphere that is the Vatican.”

Archbishop
David says he feels “a genuine call” to helping outwork
the “new approach to Anglican-Roman Catholic Ecumenism”
– which is based around working together in justice,
development and peacemaking.

‘Logical
choice’

Archbishop David’s appointment was a supremely
logical choice for the Archbishop of Canterbury to
make.

Since 2010, Archbishop David has been co-chairman of
ARCIC 111, the third phase of the Anglican Roman Catholic
International Commission. In that capacity he has worked
alongside Archbishop Bernard Longley, the Catholic Bishop of
Birmingham, and small teams of Anglican and Catholic
scholars to find common ground between the two
denominations.

Archbishop Moxon’s ARCIC 111 appointment
followed years of him being involved with ecumenical
dialogue here in New Zealand and on the international
scene.

Archbishop David, who is 61, says he feels the Rome
appointment is “a call, for the last stipended phase of
my ordained ministry.

“In the last year,” he says,
“I have been very conscious of approaching my twentieth
year as Bishop of Waikato and of approaching my seventh year
as Archbishop.

“If I was going to make a move, it would
need to be about now in order to serve another role for a
reasonable amount of time.”

Archbishop David’s
appointment to Rome also triggers the need to fill a number
of key posts in this province.

A new Archbishop of the New
Zealand dioceses will have to be found, for starters – and
that process will begin when the eight remaining Tikanga
Pakeha bishops meet in January next year.

They will then
forward the name of one of their number to the InterDiocesan
Conference.

The IDC, which comprises Tikanga Pakeha
bishops, elected clergy and lay people, will then decide
whether to affirm that nomination. If they do so, their
decision will then be declared to the General Synod/te
Hinota Whanui and to the wider church.

Archbishop David
says he hopes that decision will made early next year,
rather than later, so that the new archbishop can prepare
well for the 2014 General Synod and for the church’s
bicentenary celebrations, which are also in 2014.

Question
for Waikato and Taranaki

Archbishop David’s leaving also
triggers the statutory obligation the Diocese of Waikato and
Taranaki has under its canons to review whether it wants to
continue with its unique dual bishopric model.

Assuming
that it does so, there’ll be also be the need for that
diocese to plan for the election, most likely midway through
2013, of a new bishop.

Archbishop David says his
appointment to Rome will mean that, for a time, his own
whanau “becomes global”.

His wife Tureiti recently led
the development of a new $4 million Maori community health
centre in Hamilton, and she believes she should stay, for
the immediate future, as CEO of that centre.

So the Moxon
whanau will visit Rome regularly, and Archbishop David will
return to New Zealand during the year. The term of office
for his new role is three years minimum to five years
maximum, and there are generous provisions for leave and
home travel.

Archbishop David will succeed the Very Rev
David Richardson who, prior to his appointment to Rome in
2007, was Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral in
Melbourne.

Archbishop David says he is already processing
grief about leaving these islands and the church which he
has served as a priest for 34 years.

“I am deeply
grateful,” he says, “for everything that this church has
shared with me and for all that I have been able to
learn.

“I thank God for every opportunity and for many
friends and colleagues. I will find ways of thanking so many
of you in the months ahead for all that you mean to
me.

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